Masupatsela

ZINC AIR FUEL
DIRECTED by LESEDI MOGOATLHE
EDITED by ENOCK VALOYI
TX 7 September 2009

Lucky Mokabane and Rolf Papsdorf are social entrepreneurs with a mission to electrify rural South Africa. Through his work with a PR company, Lucky met Rolf at a conference of social entrepreneurs, where Rolf was talking about how his alternative energy project was changing the lives of rural, low income South Africans. Lucky thought of his village, Matlakatle, in Limpopo and was inspired. He offered to help Rolf roll out the zinc fuel cells in exchange for knowledge.

The zinc energy cells are a collection of cells that deliver up to 16 Volts of electricity. They are used in place of electricity and can light a house, charge cell phones, play radios and power many things that need electricity. The zinc energy cells are recharchable and affordable at R80 per household over two months, allowing people living beyond the reach of ESKOM to finally be electrified!

The first zinc energy cell installation Lucky and Rolf did together, was at his grandmother’s house in Matlakatle, Limpopo. Once his grandmother’s house had been electrified, Lucky realised that it did not help that no-one else in the village had electricity. To date, with the approval of the local council and the residents, Lucky and Rolf have installed the energy cells in 14 households in Matlakatle.

Lucky’s goal is to have the zinc air fuel cells installed in 36 more households in Matlakatle.

The installation of these cells has helped to change people’s lives in Matlakatle, where children are now able to do homework in the evening, adults do not have to walk long distances to be able to charge their cell phones, and opportunities for business have emerged.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OR TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS PROJECT:
please contact Lucky Mokabane on +27 76 060 7570 or visit Rolf’s web site .

TO START A SIMILAR PROJECT WHERE YOU LIVE, YOU CAN FOLLOW THE STEPS THAT LUCKY TOOK:
- he approached Rolf to find out more about Zinc Air Fuel
- they realised they could work together because they had a common goal to electrify rural regions
- theymet the local councillor who gave permission for them to install the alternative electricity
- their first installation was at Lucky’s grandmother’s house
- they installed electricity in 13 other houses
- they appointed someone local to maintain the cells and keep them updated on events in the village

PLEASE SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE TO SEE FURTHER IMAGES FROM THE ZINC AIR FUEL STORY

SOLAR COOKER
DIRECTED by JACQUELINE VAN MEYGAARDEN
EDITED by RUAN SCHWARTZ
TX 7 September 2009

By placing a parabolic reflector in front of the sun you can generate a temperature of 200° Celsius. You can use that energy to cook popcorn, mealiemeal, pap and vleis, or anything you like.

When Tumelo Ramolefi started learning about renewable energy, he grew shocked at how much solar energy was available in South Africa versus how much was being used. He teamed up with Rapid Dawn Solar Company and in 1999 started helping them to promote solar cookers in Africa and Europe.

Today Tumelo runs his own company, Leqheka Energy, and is the link between the public and established suppliers. Tumelo demonstrates the powers of the solar cooker to amazed onlookers at the Sci-Bono Centre in Newtown, at the Greenhouse Project in Joubert Park and along Central Johannesburg pavements. Tumelo believes that alternative energies are the way of the future and that in fifty years, we will have a complete turnaround in the way we think about energy supply.

Benefits of the solar cooker include that it is smoke free, non-polluting, does not require paraffin, and does not run on electricity.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SOLAR COOKER OR TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS PROJECT:
visit the Leqheka web site or contact Tumelo Ramolefi on +27 84 839 2080 / +27 11 720 3773.

TO START A SIMILAR PROJECT, THE STEPS THAT TUMELO TOOK COULD GUIDE YOU:
- he familiarised himself with ideas around renewable energy and sustainable living
- he recognised that bad fuel and gasses used in conventional cooking methods led to poor health
- he made contact with people working on similar projects with similar goals and beliefs
- Tumelo realised the project had potential as a business
- he drew up a business plan and formalised his business

PLEASE SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE TO SEE FURTHER IMAGES FROM THE SOLAR COOKER STORY

THEMBALETHU
In 2007 we featured a story on the work that was being done at Thembalethu in Nkomazi in Mpumalanga. In this episode we speak to co-ordinator Wendy Ngubane at Thembalethu to find out how things have developed since then.

FOR MORE ON THEMBALETHU:
contact Thembalethu on +27 13 781 4120 or email them.

SCREEN GRABS FROM THE ZINC AIR FUEL AND SOLAR COOKER STORIES: